Chuck's Choices for the weekend of January 23, 2015

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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Winter Opera St. Louis presents Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, January 23 and 25. "A woman, a man, and a bet between friends. What will it take for Suzel and Fritz to admit they love each other?" Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. The opera is sung in Italian with project English supertitles. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

My take: Although nowhere near as well-known as Mascagni's one big hit, the tragic one-act Cavalleria Rusticana, L'Amico Fritz is considered by many critics to be musically superior, even though its comic libretto is considerably lighter. Nobody gets killed here and everything ends happily. I don't think the opera has ever been performed in St. Louis, so this may be your first (and possibly) only chance to see it on a local stage. Winter Opera's theatre is one of the best in town for musical theatre; it's a pity the shows don't run longer.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the comedy Fox on the Fairway through January 25. "Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-the-top romantic shenanigans, The Fox On the Fairway is a fast-paced and charmingly madcap adventure about love, life, and man's eternal love affair with golf." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956 or visit ktg-onstage.org.

My take: Best known for his wildly popular comedy Lend Me a Tenor, Ken Ludwig seems to be a dab hand at farce. "Director Lyndsay Somers Hick," says KDHX's Tina Farmer, "makes the most of the expansive set’s many entrances, repeatedly employing a slapstick chase element the actors gleefully embrace and the audience continuously responds to. Solid casting and a willingness to play big for laughs results in a light and fluffy farce in which everyone ends up happy, the characters and the audience." This is the sort of thing KTG does well, so it should be plenty of good, clean, fast-paced fun.

COCA Theatre Company presents the musical Mirette Friday through Sunday, January 23-25. "COCA Theatre Company (CTC) presents Mirette, with book by Elizabeth Diggs, music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones and based on the book Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. Mirette is an imaginative, musical adaptation of the award-winning children's book, set in late 19th century Paris. A willful young girl is delighted when she discovers her mother's new boarder is none other than the Great Bellini, whose glorious tightrope-walking days were cut short when he lost his nerve. Demonstrating an innate talent for balancing, she convinces the reluctant Bellini to teach her his craft. Mirette is directed by Chris Limber, with musical direction by Phil Woodmore and circus staging by Josh Routh." COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

My take: Yes, that's the Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones who produced one of the longest-running musicals in history, The Fantasticks. Chris Limber is a veteran actor and director here in St. Louis as well as a cabaret performer, so I think you can expect a polished production of this rarely-seen musical.

Emily C. Johnson

The Chapel Venue presents Emily C. Johnson in New Girl in Town: A Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 24. The pianist and music director is Maggie McCarthy and the show features guest appearances by singers Sarah Dowling, Kevin Urday, Kendra Moore, Lillian Johnson, Eileen Engel, Sara Rae Womack, and Rachel Kuenzi. The Chapel is at 6238 Alexander in Clayton. For more information: thenewgirlstl.weebly.com.

My take: Emily gave us a preview of her show at the Cabaret Project open mic this past Wednesday, with sparkling performances of "Taylor the Latte Boy" (by the talented team of Heiser and Goldrich) and "The Trolley Song" (from Meet Me in St. Louis). The Chapel is a nice, intimate space that works well for cabaret, and it charges nothing for artists to perform there, so every dime of every ticket sales goes straight to the performers. Your ticket price includes two drinks at the bar as well. Such a deal.

Photo: Carol Rosegg

The Fox Theatre presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella January 20 - February 1. "With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA combines the story's classic elements - glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too." The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com.

My take: Based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's famous made-for-television musical from 1957, this retooled stage version has a new book by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (best known for his comedy As Bees in Honey Drown). "More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size" says the official press release, "this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too." At Ladue News, Mark Bretz calls it "effervescent and charming" while the Post-Dispatch's Judy Newmark says it "looks like a storybook come to life."

Held Over:

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, based on the classic film, through February 1. “A progressive couple's proud liberal sensibilities are put to the test when their daughter arrives home bursting with excitement and an unexpected fiancé. Expectations and reality collide when questions of race, fear and cultural beliefs are staring them directly in the face. A new adaptation of the award-winning film explores family and acceptance and asks which has the greater hold on our hearts.” Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: Reviews have been very positive for this show. Writing for Broadwayworld.com, for example, Chris Gibson calls it "an engaging and thoroughly entertaining theatrical experience that I cannot recommend highly enough." "Under Seth Gordon's expert direction," writes Malcom Gay at the Riverfront Times, "the Rep's cast teases the nuances from Kreidler's adaptation, delivering a powerful, immersive performance that - if not exactly challenging to an audience already won over to its essential argument - masterfully navigates the shifting waters of race, class, familial acceptance and personal responsibility as they move to overrun the narrow cultural channels that have defined them." Other critics have been equally enthusiastic. I saw the show last weekend and I agree that a winner is coming to dinner.